Speed-recording device.



H. M. P. MURPHY.

Patented May 4, 1909.

WITNESSES HOWARD M. P. MURPHY/OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

SPEEDQRECORIDING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 4, 1909.

Application filed April 16, 1901 Serial No. 427,418.

" To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HOWARD M. P. MUR- PHY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pittsburg, in the county of Alleghen an State of Pennsylvania, have invente new and useful Improvements in Speed-Record-v ing Devices, of which the followmg is a speci-- fication.

This invention relates to speed recording devices, and more particularly for recording 7 the speed of railway or other vehicles.

The principal object of my invention is to provide a simple and accurately operating device for the above purpose, wherein the record made by a single stylus or recording pencil indicates the speed of the vehicle or the number of revolutions during predeter- V mined intervals of time.

a top plan View In the accompanying drawing; Figure 1 is of a preferred form of my 1n- 2 a side 'elevatlon thereof; and

vention; Fig.

illustrating a modified form of Fig. 3 .a view record tape.

Broadly considered, my invention comprises a record tape or blank provided with means for moving the same at a rate of s eed proportional to the speed of the vehic e or other moving body w I be taken, and means ose speed record is to for recording predetermined intervals of time on said tape, so that the space or distance between any two of the time marks is proportional to the distance traveled during that interval and by ed to woun on a spool 3 which is providing-a suitable scale on the record tape,

aving i visions for miles per .hour or feet per second or the like, the speed at any time maybe read from the tape, without computation.

According to the construction illustrated in the drawmg, I provide a recording table 1, over which a record ass, the record tapebeing refera ly ivota ymounted adjacent the table 1 so that the tape unrolls from the spool substantially in the plane of the table. A spring cli 4 may be arranged to press on the spoo of tape so asto maintain t e tape taut and under a sli ht tension. on the opposite side'of the table 1,- a feed roller 5 is pivotally' mounted in pedestals 6 and is adapted to bear on the under face of the tape 2. A second roll 7 is pivotally mounted above the tape and is pressed against the tape by suitable s rings 8. The feed roller 5 is gearedin any esired manner to the vehicle axle or other moving element blank or tape 2 1s adapt:

Whose rate of s eed is to be recorded so that the same may e caused to rotate at a rate of speed proportional to the speed of the vehicle or other movin body, and thus the tape is moved along by tie frictional engagement of the feed roller 5, at-a corresponding rate of speed.

Any desired means may be employed for recordin intervals of time on the tape, but I preferably provide an electro'magnet 9, to the armature 10 of which is secured a stylus or recording pencil 11. The magnetcoil 12 of said magnet is arranged in a suitable circuit containing a battery or other source of electric current. The circuit wire 13 thereof is connected to a clock 14 which is adapted to complete the electric circuit throu h the wire 13 at predetermined intervals 0 time. A spring 15 tends to force the armature out wa'rdly against stop ins 16.,

In o eration it W1 now be apparent that with t e vehicle in motion, the tape 2 is moved along at a rate of speed proportional to the vehicle speed, while the stylus 11 records intervals of time, such as seconds or half-seconds, consequently the space or distance on the tape between time records made by the stylus represents the distance traveled in that interval of time. The recording tape, according to my invention, is ruled with divisions of such relation to the-speed of the tape and the vehicle that the number of said divisions in a given unit of time as recorded by the time mechanism will indicate the rate of speed of the vehicle. For example, if it is desired to have direct readings of milesper hour, the tape actuatlng mechanism is geared up to the vehicle in such relation and the divisions are such that the tape progresses one of the divlsions thereon for each 1/3600 of a mile actually traveled by the vehicle, the time mechanism being adapted to record second ntervals of time on the tape, suppose four divisions are counted between two of the second marks, then the rate of speed during that second of timeis 4 miles perhour, since the tape actually shows that the vehicle has traveled 4 times 1/3600 of a mile or 1/900 of a mile in dne second, and then the rate per hour would be 3600 times 1/900 of a mile, or 4 miles per hour. In a similar manner the tape may be so ruled as to indicate feet per "second, revolutions per minute, or various other unit relations between distance and time, as will be apparent.

.stopping points of a test. I fprovide an electro-magnet 9' which may be 0 the same construction as the magnet 9 and connected in circuit with a suitable source of current but adapted to have its along y I may also provide an additional recording device for making a record at any desired point, as for example at the starting and For this purpose circuit closed by an auxiliary device located the line of travel, for example, and adapted to close the circuit of the magnet 9 at the desired predetermined points.

If desired the recording tape may be made as shown in Fig. 3 with two scales which may be arranged, for example, to give a direct reading for both miles per hour traveled and the number of feet per second.

Having now described my invention, What I claim as' new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a device for recording the rate of speed of a vehicle, the combination with a record tape adapted to be 0 erated at a rate of speed proportional to t e speed of the vehicle, of means for recording predetermined units of time on the tape, said tape havingdivisions so related to' the speed of the tape and that of the vehicle as to represent units of distance in a given unit of time as recorded by the time recording means, to

thereby permit a direct reading of the rate of speed of the vehicle.

2. In a device for recording the rate of speed of a vehicle, the combination with a units of time on said tape, said ta record tape adapted to be operated at a rate of speed proportional to the speed of the ve hicle, of means for recording predetermined e having divisions so related to the speed of the tape and the vehicle as to represent units of distance in a given unit of time as recorded by the time means, thereby permitting a direct reading of the rate of speed.

3. A device for recording the rate of speed of a vehicle, comprising seconds of time transitions thereon, said tape having (llVlSlOIlS so ruled that the number of divisions between second marks will indicate miles er hour.

4. In-a evice for recording the speed of a tape adapted to indicate units of distance for units of time of a different denomination from those recorded.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

- HOWARD M. P.. MURPHY. Witnesses:

R. F. EMERY, EDITH B. MACDONALD.

a tape geared to move at a speed proportional to the speed of the vehicle, a time mechanism for recording 

